Calender machine



1951 c. P. PUTNAM 2,578,594

CALENDER MACHINE F' iled Dec. 20, 1948 s Sheets-Sheet 1 g g/-44; M%

Dec. 11, 195] PUTNAM 2,578,594

CALENDER MACHINE /1421 [5 P Pam 4M D 1, 1 c. P. PUT AM 2,578,594

- CALENDER MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 20, 1948 Patented Dec. 11, 13.51

Charles P. Putnam, Lock Haven, Pa.,.assignor to :New York and Pennsylvania 00., Inc., New York, N. 91., a corporation of Delaware Application December 20, 1948, Serial No. 66,302

'5 Claims.

This invention relates to calender machines for treating a web material such as paper and the like.

Specifically, this invention relates to a tandemtype supercalender machine which successively treats opposite faces of a Web against hard surtacedrolls and includes swingably mounted resilient soft fiber or paper rolls whichscan be replaced without necessitating stoppage or slowdown of the calender machine.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my icopending application Serial No. 626,477, filed November 3, 1945, now Patent Number 2,565,529.

Prior known :supercalender machines either have a vertical stack :of alternate hard surfaced rolls andsoit surfaced paper :rolls receiving the web in a serpentine path through the successive nips thereof or have a series of identical pairs of rolls in tandem relation successively receiving the web through the hips thereof as in my parent case Serial No. 626,477. In either type of these machines the web always has the same face pressed against the same type of roll viz either :a hard roll or a soft roll.

Therefore, formation of a supercalender glaze on both faces of the {paper has heretofore required sating against any "changes of length of the web as it is calendered.

vAnother feature is the provision of swingable paper re is arranged to travel around different types of backing up rolls atsuccessive nips in the machine.

A construction embodying the features of the present invention has additional advantages in that the web material maybe successively passed through the nips of successive pairs of calender rolls arranged as desired thereby permitting the one face of the web to be in contact with hard rolls through one or more nips while the opposite face isin contact with the soft rolls and then reversing the procedure to contact this opposite face with the hard rolls while the first facecontacts the soft rolls.

Inasmuch as damaged soft rolls can be replaced without stopping the calender machine, this invention makes it feasible to install supercalenders at the end of a paper making machine for continual assembly lineeperation and pro- :2 duction of icalendered paper, thereby eliminating the cumbersome steps of loading and unloading supercalenders with heavy paper rolls.

The present invention further provides .asupercalender whereby a hard metal roller is adjustably and compressibly urged against the top surface of a web material riding on a soft roll. Furthermore, such a supercalender is provided with arrangement whereby the active soft roll and the spare soft roll may Joe rotated abouta bottom driver roll through a 90 arc segment after which the previousactiveroll may.be quicklylremovedon the-opcratingflocrlof the machine room, thereby eliminating the necessity of loading 1111- loading soft rolls in .a sub-basement beneath the supercalender machine as distinguished from those machines where removable soft .rolls are rotated through ,1 80".

The super-calender machine of this invention includes a plurality of lower rigid driver rolls in spaced parallel relation. .Each one .of these .ro'lls is driven by a prime mover such as .an electric motor, or by any other driver arrangement which permitsselective control .of driver speeds.

.The present embodiment, by way of preferred example only,.has a pressure roll in spacedsuperimposedrelation to each of the lower driver rolls. A first pair of soft ,paper rolls are .sivingably mounted for .-18.0 rotation about the periphery of one pressure roll for selective pressure nip .engagement with the bottom driver roll. Asecond pair of soft paper rolls are swingablymounted for 90 rotation about the periphery of a second lower driver roll in an adjacent roll assembly .ior selective pressure nipengagement with the correspondingpressureroll.

The super-imposed pressure rolls are subjected to variable pressure inaccordance with the desired nip pressure to be obtained between .each paper roll and. its corresponding cooperating hard metal roll. The lower rolls are driven at speeds which maintain the desired tension on the web material, thereby compensating against .any discrepancies caused by successive stretching of the web material.

It is then an object of this invention to provide a calender machine of the character described in the foregoing.

Another object of this invention is to provide a calender machine adopted to continuously treat paper from a paper machine even when caiencler rolls are being changed.

A further object of this invention is to provide a roll arrangement for active and spare soft papa rolls'of a-calender machine which-permits rapid and convenient replacement of soft rolls with a rotating spare roll driven at a correct speed for engaging a traveling web passing through the calender machine.

A further object of this invention is to provide a calender machine which permits soft paper rolls to be removed on the operating floor level of the calender machine room.

A specific object of this invention is to provide a calender machine having a lower rigid roll, a pressure roll in spaced relation therefrom, and a plurality of soft calender rolls swingable about the periphery of the lower rigid roll to be selectively positioned in pressure nip relation with the pressure roll.

A further object of the invention is to provide a supercalender having a plurality of nips wherein hard calender rolls may selectively contact both faces of the paper web being treated.

Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings which, by way of a preferred example only, illustrate one embodiment of the invention.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a supercalender machine according to this invention with parts omitted and with connecting parts for the omitted parts shown in vertical cross section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to Figure 1 but illustrating parts omitted from Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged broken transverse cross sectional view, with parts in end elevation and with parts broken away, taken substantially along the lines III-III of Figure 2.

As shown on the drawings:

A calender machine indicated generally at it 7 includes a frame composed of pairs of front and rear upright columns I! mounted on a machine room floor indicated generally at F and front and rear top beams l2 supported by the columns for supporting a number of supercalender roll mechanisms. The present embodiment shows a calender machine having two units, ISA and I 3B, but it should be understood that the principles of the .present invention are equally applicable to any structural combination of multiple calenapplication. As shown on Figure 1, the mechanism IflA comprises a lower driver roll [3 supported by a pair of bearing housings l4 secured to the floor F and arranged between a pair of the columns I I. The roll 13 may be driven by an independent variably controlled prime mover (not shown).

A pressure roll supported in bearing housings carried by a pair of pressure roll supporting arms is positioned in spaced alignment above the lower drive roll l3. The pressure roll supporting structure and the pressure applying apparatus associated with the pressure roll !5 is identical with that to be described in appropriate detail in connection with the calender mechanism MB in a subsequent portion of this disclosure.

A pair of soft or paper calender rolls iii are rotatably mounted on diametrically opposed sides of the pressure roll l5 in peripheral engagement therewith. The soft rolls It may be rotated through 180 about the periphery of the pressure roll !5 for selective pressure nip engagement with the lower roll l3. For a complete understanding and a detailed description of the mechanical means for accomplishing this rotation, reference may be had to the acknowledged parent application.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, the columns I! of both the front and rear calender machine frames have vertical tracks or ways i la along the inside length thereof facing the calender roll mechanism for slidably supporting movable carriages l8, to each of which a pressure roll supporting arm i9 is pivotally mounted.

A plurality of rods 29 depend through bosses on the top beams !2 in front of the carriages 58 for threaded engagement therewith via a plurality of cooperating spaced adjusting nuts 2|, thereby permitting selective vertical adjustment of the levels of the carriages [8 relative to the top beams 12.

The pressure roll supporting arms i5! provide a pair of housings 22 for bearing structures which rotatably support the axle of a pressure roll 23 mounted between the pressure roll supporting arms [9.

Pressure may be selectively applied to the calender machine IGB or MA, as for example, by applying controlled quantities of vertically directed force to the pressure roll 23 or 15. It should be understood, of course, that this application of pressure may be accomplished in various ways and with the aid of structures incorporating sundry mechanical designs. By way of illustration, but not by way of limitation, each calender roll mechanism of the present embodiment is shown as including a pressure apparatus comprising a pair of pressure applying arms 24 pivotally secured to corresponding carriages E8. The free ends of the arms 24 are respectively coupled to a threaded rod 26 which, in turn, depends from a worm and gear casing 21 (Figure 1) pivoted to a bracket 28 on the top of the beams 12.

A coiled spring or other resilient pressure device 29 is positioned between the roll carrying arm is and the corresponding pressure applying arm so that downward pressure exerted upon the arm 2-; by motor means M through the worms and gears (not shown) in the casing 2'5 and the rod compresses the springs 29, thereby loading the pressure roll 23.

As shown on Figures 1 and 2, a pair of links 3% tie the free ends of the arms 24 to the respective ends of the arms l9 so that the rod 26 may be rotated to raise the pressure applying arm 2%, the pressure roll carrying arm l3 and the pressure roll as a unit. However, the links 30 have a lost motion connection comprising slots 33a. for receiving a pin 19a formed on the free end of each arm l9, thereby permitting a linkage coupling without interfering with the resilient coaction of the pressure applying apparatus and the pressure roll 23.

Referring specifically to the calender roll mechanism l lB shown on the right hand side of the calender machine 16, a roll supporting frame 3i is mounted between the columns H and on the floor (Figures 1 and 2). The frame 3i supports a bearing housing 32 which rotatably carries a lower driver roll 33 having very hard, preferably chilled iron, material on its peripheral surface.

As may best be seen on Figure 3, the roll 33 may be driven by a shaft 34 extending outwardly from said calender machine for' connection to an independent \varia-hly controlled prime mover suchas anrelectricimotoror the like not shown).

ins .may best :be seen I by the dotted .line outline shown :on .Figures .1 "and .32 and by the full line view shown on Eigure :3,xthe bearingmousing portions 32 each have a cylindrical flange portion 32a :surrounding an .axle .;of ithe Llower driver roll 33 "and :rotatably supporting *a surrounding bracketsiifi. :The :bracket 36 is a bifurcated (structure and has two :pairs :of outwardly :proj-ecting portions 36a :spaced %in radial alignment iupon radially extending axes separated by an :arc of 90?,avhich carry :split bearing clamps 13:! upon the outerfreeends thereof. Each bearing .clamp :31

includes pivoted-together zclamping jaws adapted comprised of a lower clamp Jarm 31a and an upper clamp arm 311),, .the free ends of which are pivotally joined with one another by a pin -38 which, in turn, is carried by .a boss39 on a rod 40 pivotally mounted upon the bracket 35 as at Al.

The lower clamp aarm 31a 'is pivotally secured to the projecting portion 3611 of the bracket 36 as at 36c and the upper clamp arm '31?) can be drawn up in bearingaassembly by turning a nut 42 to engage a pointed washer -43 surrounding a swing bolt 44 pivotally mounted'onzan ear 36b extending from the proiecting portion 36a of the bracket 38. i

A pair of -soft calender rolls A6, :sometimes referred to as paperrollsbecause they areusually made of :a "metal core surrounded on their peripheries with compressed fiber -.or paper, are provided 'with laterally projecting axles 46a havlug-bearings mounted on the end thereof. .The bearings 4'! are adapted :to :be seated in the Split bearing clamp 31 and are held therein against axial :and rotational nroyement relative to the calender structure but permit free rotation of the soft rolls '45 withinthe hearing mounts.

As shown on Figures 1, 2 and 3, .apairp'f soft rolls 4.6 may be rotatably mounted in radial spaced alignment about the periphery of the drive roll 33. In the present drawings theupper soft roll is .active and "the rolldisplaced 90 to the right of the active roll is aspare.' Inasmuch as the lower driver roll 33 :and soft rolls 46 are in peripheral engagement with one another, the peripheral speed of the spare roll is exactly the same as the linear speed of a web of paper W or the like shown traveling "through the supercalender 'l 0.

"Thus, the rolls 46 removably retained by the bearing clamps 31 may be selectively positioned between the pressure M1113 and the lower drive roll 33 by rotating the :brackets 38 through a "90 are around the circular flange 32a of the bearing housing :32. It will the apparent that-a damaged T 'vthicg-h are bolted to each of the brackets 38 iiii v Thus, the clamps .float on the brackets '35 and are each {6 surrounding :relationship with the bearing flange 32a. The gears 48 mesh with a pair of smaller diameter gears 49 'tbestseen ion :the right hand side-pf Figure 3 '(where one of the gears-4811's cut away :mounted !on sa-coaxial shaft :55) having fixed on the .ends thereof a third pair of gears 5| of larger diameter than the gears '49. "The gears :51 mesh with a fourth pair 'of "gears "5.2 mounted in: spaced relationship onsalong shaft '53 extending :transverselyza'cross the 'width of the calender: mechanism.

The shaft 133 has afiixed to the end th'ereofla smaller :driven gearfl in: meshed engagement with aidriveiw'gear i56 connectedto a prime'mover 1P such an electric motor or -.the =like mounted 'on :a bracket $.51 extending from the frame 3!.

The prime mover :P is preferably an electric motor having 'iield'win'din'gs suitable for two di rectional operations and equipped with suitable limit switches and electric brakes. Thus, the motor Prnaybesselectively energized to rotate the .braket'fifithrough:ai90" arcby means of the gear itrainzassociated therewith itothe dotted line positioniD'indinated on the right hand side of Fig- :ure 1 .or, "irom the dotted line position D to the iiill zline position :as :shown.

.Such :selective 'operation will swing 'a spare calender troll 46 around the lower drive roll-'33 into the space "between the driver roll and the pressure roll 23. .A split bearing clamp 3! may he quickly opened by manipulation 'oi the swing bolt assembly and "the previously active roll 46, :now lyingz adja'centithe :lower drive roll as shown Figure 11, can be conveniently and rapidly removed and'replaced with anew soft roll, 'thereby eiiective'ly anticipating a'future occasion for emplacement of a 'so'ftroll.

It should be apparent that "a :cal'ender roll mechanism thus equipped permits a web W to .be intrdduced with the wire side of the web "in contact with the soft roll 16 instead of the felt 'side :being in contact with the soft roll. The present structure, therefore, permits alternate nip engagement with selected sides .of .a web in a rsuper'calender .machine, as may be desired when fit :is necessary :to calender "both sides of a. web material.

It should be further "apparent that the novel structure permitting the changeover 50f spare and captive soft :ro'lls as herein described allows the removal of "damaged-soft rolls on the machine room "floor level of the supercalender. 'Because of the size-oi supercalender machines, rotation -ofgpa'per rolls about 'thelower drive roll cannot "be accomplished through "without n'ecessitatingremoval of the damaged paper roll on a lower level .or basement beneath the supercalender machine Thepresentiinvention, therefore, permits one level operation of supercalendering machines.

, Whenever it desired to adjust the pressure in the calender roll mechanism, the rods 26 are actuated downwardly, thereby exerting a vertical pressure :force against the pressure arms '24 .from whence the force is imparted to the pressure roll 23.

In operation, the 'lower driver roll '33 engages the interp'osed'soft roll 46 which in turn, engages the pressure roll 23'1inii'ting downward movement thereof. Pressure oi'the springs 29 is transferred to thepressureiarms t9, roll 23 and lower driver roll 33, thereby causing the lower driver roll "33 to heel: up the active soft roll #5 .along its lentire length to create an even rnip pressure he- 7 tween the pressure roll 23 and the active soft roll 46.

As best shown in Figure 1 a guide roll 51 is mounted adjacent the lower roll 13 and a paper web W passes under the guide roll and thence over the top portion of the lower roll l3. Such guide rolls thus cause the paper web W to partially lap around the lower rolls l3 and travel on these rolls through the nip of each supercalender assembly. The guide rolls 51 are preferably housed to receive heating or cooling fluid therethrough for adjusting the temperature of the web W before it passes through the succeeding nip. Thus, if desired, coolant can be flowed through the hollow guide rolls 5! to cool the paper or other web material and thereby aid in maintaining a cool nip temperature. Conversely, steam or other heating fluid can be flowed through the hollow guide rolls 5'1 to heat the web before passing through the nip.

' Shower pipes S may be extended transversely across the top and bottom faces of the web W in spaced relation therefrom, and may be arranged to eject jets of steam, water or the like for treating the web before it passes through the nips of the supercalender. In many instances it is desirable to moisten the web so that a wet surface will be acted on by the nip of the supercalender.

The web W can be received into the first supercalender IEJA directly from the dryer section of a paper machine and will pass under the first guide roll 52 and then through the first nip provided by the first supercalender assembly. It should be apparent that as a web is normally introduced into a calender machine, the active soft roll it is in contact with the felt side of the web W and the lower drive roll is is in contact with the wire side of the web W. The web will then pass under a second guide roll 58 from whence it will be introduced into the nip of a succeeding supercalender assembly.

As shown in this embodiment, the succeeding supercalender assembly is arranged in the manner of the calender mechanism B. Thus the web passes over the guide roll 59 and then passes over the lower portion of the pressure roll 23. It will be apparent that in this phase of the calendering operation, the one face side of the web W which had previously contacted the soft roll l6 in the first nip will now be contacted by the hard metallic surface of the pressure roll 23. lhus the soft roll 46 contacts the other side of the web W and the lower drive roll 33 serves as a backing roll. The web W now calendered on both sides, passes over the guide roll 60 en route to a reel or winding apparatus. It may, of course, also be desirable to pass the web W through successive alternate nip engagement with additional supercalender assemblies.

Any stretching of the web W due to the pressure nip treatment in the various stages of the supercalender machine is accommodated by driving the successive drive roll faster to maintain any desired draw tension on the web. A supercalender machine constructed in accordance with the present invention can handle continuously moving web material directly from a paper machine to continuously supply a reel or winder with finished paper. The supercalender machine of this invention can also be used as finishing room equipment and may receive web material from a wound roll instead of directly from a paper machine.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims and the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

l. A calender machine comprising, in combination, a plurality of lower driver rolls having hard peripheries, said driver rolls arranged in spaced side-by-side relation, a frame having upright columns adjacent each of said driver rolls, a plurality of pressure applying rolls having hard metallic peripheries, said pressure rolls being superimposed above said lower driver rolls and between said columns, movable carriages mounted on said columns, pressure roll carrying arms pivotally connected to said carriages, said pressure roll carrying arms having bearing housings for rotatably carrying said pressure rolls, means connected to said frame for selectively applying variable quantities of vertical pressure force to said pressure rolls through said pressure roll carrying arms, a first pair of soft calender rolls rotatably mounted on diametrically opposed sides of one of said pressure rolls for 180 rotation about said pressure roll for selective first pass pressure nip engagement with a corresponding first pass lower driver roll, and a second pair of soft calender rolls rotatably mounted on radial axes respectively separated by a arc for shifting around the upper portion of a second of said lower driver rolls for selective second pass pressure nip engagement with a corresponding second stage pressure roll.

2. A calender machine comprising a first roll, fixed bearings rotatably supporting said first roll, a pressure roll, bearings rotatably supporting said pressure roll, shiftable housings carrying said bearings, cylindrical flanges on said fixed bearings, brackets rotatably mounted on said flanges, a plurality of split bearing clamps carried by each bracket, a plurality of calender rollers having bearings removably clamped in said split bearing clamps, yieldable means accommodating swinging movement of the split bearing clamps relative to said brackets, means for rotating said brackets on the cylindrical flanges on said fixed hearings to selectively position the roll ers into nip defining relation with the pressure roll, and pressure means for loading the bearings for the pressure applying roll to urge said pressure applying roll toward said first roll andthereby maintain a roller in pressure nip relation with the pressure applying roll.

3. A supercalender machine comp-rising tandem vertical stacks of rolls, ea'ch stack having top and bottom hard surfaced rolls in spaced superimposed relationship, a multi-roll carrier swingable about the periphery of the top roll in the first stack and including two spaced bracket members journaled for movement about the axis of rotation of the top roll of said stack of rolls, a second multi-roll carrier swingable about the upper portion of the bottom roll of the second stack of rolls including two spaced bracket members journaled for rotation about the axis of the next succeeding bottom roll, releasable clamping means movably mounted on each bracket member for rotatably supporting a pair of paper rolls, for movement with respect to said bracket members, to selectively position one paper roll between an associated stack of hard surfaced rolls and move the other paper roll in a position for-easy replacement, said clamping means on said first mentioned bracket members being in diametrically opposed relationship, and said clamping means on said second mentioned bracket members being spaced less than 180 apart, and means for guiding a paper between the bottom hard surfaced roll and paper roll of one stack and thence between the top hard surfaced roll and paper roll of the next stack, to successively calender opposite races of the web.

4. In a calendering machine for calendering a web material, a plurality of hard surfaced lower driver rolls and a plurality of vertically spaced hard surfaced upper pressure rolls longitudinally and horizontally aligned in tandem arrangement, spaced bracket members journaled for rotation about the axis or the first of said upper pressure rolls and bearing supports mounted on said brackets for limited movement with respect thereto, a first pair of soft calender rolls journaled in said bearing supports and swingably mounted to rotate about the first of said upper pressure rolls for selective nip engagement with a corresponding first of said lower driver rolls, spaced brackets journaled for rotation about the axis of the second of said lower driver rolls, bearing support means mounted on said brackets for limited movement with respect thereto and disposed in circumferentiall'y spaced relation of less than 180, a second pair of soft calender rolls journaled in said bearing sup-ports and swingably mounted to rotate about the second of said lower driver rolls for selective nip engagement with the second of said upper pressure rolls, and guide rolls positioned adjacent said driver and pressure rolls, to partially lap the paper web over the first of said lower driver rolls for calendaring one face of said web and then to direct the web onto the second of said pressure rolls, for calendering the other face of said Web.

5. A calender machine comprising a plurality of rolls arranged in spaced tandem relation, a frame therefor including a plurality of spaced vertical columns, carriages mounted on said columns for adjustable movement therealong, means on said frame for raising and lowering said carriages along said columns, roll carrying arms pivoted on said carriages, pressure rolls rotatably carried by said roll carrying arms,

10 pressure applying arms pivoted on said carriages above said roll carrying arms, compression prings between the pressure applying arms and the roll carrying arms, links connecting the pressure applying arms and the roll carrying arms and accommodating limited vertical movements between the arms, means on said frame for swinging the pressure applying arms to load said springs and to raise the links for raising the roll carrying arms, brackets rotatable about the axis of one of said tandem rolls, a plurality of calender rolls rotatably mounted in said brackets and including an active calender roll in pressure nip relation with an adjacent lower roll and a spare calender roll on an adjacent side or" the tandem roll, and means for shifting said brackets to move the spare calender roll into operative position with said adjacent pressure rol CHARLES P. PUTNAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name r Date 40,265 Jones Oct. 13, 1863 56,682 Wright July 24, 1866 101,532 Soley et al. Apr. 5, 1870 495,904 Story Apr. 4, 1893 555,385 Linton Feb. 25, 1896 745,340 Foley Dec. 1, 1903 1,145,880 Clark July 13, 1915 1,432,729 Pinder Oct. 17, 1922 1,600,119 Macklin Sept. 14, 1926 1,622,744 Steifel May 29, 1927 1,714,261 Egan et al. May 21, 1929 2,300,994 Thiele et al. Nov. 3, 1942 2,367,778 Hornbostel Jan. 23, 1945 2,386,584 Berry Oct. 9, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 8,158 Great Britain of 1884 21,858 Great Britain of 1895 413.834 Great Britain July 26. 1934 

